Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to apparatus for marking and, more specifically, to apparatus for marking skin and other living tissue during surgical procedures.
Description of the Related Art
During surgical procedures, occasions arise in which it becomes necessary or desirable for the surgeon to apply marks to patient tissue. More particularly, surgeons performing invasive surgery will often mark skin, internal organs, bone, muscle, tendons, or the like. Such marking is often made more difficult by the presence of blood, viscous solids, oils, greases, debris, and the like, on or near the tissue which can contaminate the ink dispensing end of the marking device, thereby partially or completely blocking the flow of ink. While such contaminants may sometimes be cleaned from the ink dispensing end of the writing device, often, the contaminants may cause the dispensing end of the marking device to become clogged. Also, even where cleaning is feasible, additional contamination may often occur soon thereafter.
Accordingly, some marking devices have flexible barrels that facilitate squeezing of the marking device to promote an increased ink flow that compensates for, or overcomes, any contamination present in or on the ink dispensing end of the marking device. However, as such devices require squeezing, this may become tiresome or unwieldy for the operator. This problem may further be exacerbated by long surgeries wherein a surgeon may become progressively more fatigued as the surgery continues.
Thus, there is a need for apparatus for marking tissue in a reliable manner despite the recurring and continuing presence of contaminants.